The Art Institute of Seattle
by Mizra
Summary: One-shot, Eclipse missing moment: Bella ponders the idea of what she could do in college. Then Alice gives her the opportunity and Edward agrees. Canon, E/B


**Special thanks to ThexInvisiblexGirl for a quick read-over and reminding me why I write. ;)  
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Bella as a graphic designer. Edward asks her about college again. What did she want to do?

Graduation was looming. I had remembered that much, between days spent with Edward and my job at Newton's. I felt carefree. It wasn't a feeling I knew fondly of, but for now, that's what emotions could be labeled as. Edward had been over several times this week, always bringing more paperwork. Always trying to find some way to keep me human. Not that I hadn't thought of college. I did. I had fully planned to attend college and work my way to a degree in graphic design, something I had become interested in as of late.

I believe it stemmed from the fact that Alice had lent me her computer one night and showed the wonderous world of Adobe Photoshop. My computer at Charlie's barely crawled along on Windows 98. AOL was the best Internet I had. But here, with the Cullens, I should have know they would have DSL and using only Mac computers. The school had a few leftover, I think from the early 90s, judging by their size.

Needless to say, Alice was thrilled to show me the inner workings of her favorite program. She explained to me different uses and how she set up her designs with the 'tools' panel. I was lost for a few moments. She left me alone to my own devices while I pointed and clicked my way through a 7 inch by 5 inch drawing area.

Much to my surprise, I liked it. When Alice came back, I had rendered a lame attempt at those 'Bella's Room: Keep Out" posters so often seen in kids movies with older siblings. Alice laughed and mentioned Andy Warhol. I knew of that name.

"A painter, right?" I said, hedging around. I didn't really know much about art. I just doodled from time to time.

Alice gave me a look like I had grown a third head. With the way things were in my life, I probably would have. She huffed and reached over the keyboard, her fingers flying. Seconds later, the entire 32" screen filled with a psychedelic-looking set of pictures of Marilyn Monroe. I quirked an eyebrow.

"Andy Warhol did this?"

"Yes, Bella," she said, with slight irritation in her voice. "He was one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century and was an American painter, print-maker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art."

Now it was my turn to stare at her third head. She explained to me about his history, his background, the coining of the phrase '15 minutes of fame' and the infamous pop art movement. Alice Cullen, was, apparently, an art aficionado of the sixties sort.

Needless to say, I spent a week at Edward's, fixed on Alice's computer, playing with her Photoshop. At lunch, Edward went with me to the library and I would look up information on painters from that style period. Edward, a pessimist of the sixties and everything it represented, tended to make jokes about it all, saying it was "nothing but superfluous and had nothing to add to society as a whole."

His words. Definitely not mine.

I loved this kind of art. It inspired me and I dug out some of my old drawings I'd packed away from the move to Forks a year ago. In them, I found my calling. OK, well, it wasn't that dramatic, but I did see potential for something to do in college after I had become a vampire.

Of course, I wouldn't being GOING to college until afterward, but I felt the need to explore a profession anyway. Emmett had went to college twice, but usually stuck with History or Calculus. Tangible things. Jasper studied Sociology and Philosophy. Edward and Rosalie had both been to med school. And Alice, usually in the art or music department somewhere.

I would be the next Cullen to join the ranks. After my change and at least a year or so.

It was one of the days that I had been drawing in a new sketchbook that Edward bought for me that he started a conversation off with this little gem:

"Bella, I think you should go to art school."

I wouldn't tell him no, really. Just not now. I could go to college afterward. I told him as much.

"I don't know if I'm good enough," I said, fibbing. I wasn't great, but I didn't want to give him hopes of me going to college right off. I had other plans in mind. Ones that didn't leave me human.

"Of course you are," he said, a glint in his eye as he looked at me. He smiled that melting smile of his, the one that always left me fumbling over my words.

"But, a-wa... a... I don't know if that would be wise to do," I started, calmly as possible. _Apparently not calmly enough, Swan_.

"Why not?" he asked, point-blank.

_Because I won't be human long after graduation._ He looked at me, wondering if I would say something. I didn't feel like really arguing with him today.

"You know my offer-my proposal-still stands," Edward said, his is cool non-chalance.

I moaned. And not the good kind either. "Don't say proposal."

"You know, with your talent, I bet you could go after a graphic design degree," he said, as-a-matter-of-fact. "Alice has one. Though hers is from 1985."

"Yeah, Alice mentioned that. She said most of the work hasn't changed much. Except since the invention of the personal computer. She says her designs are so much easier to work with now and she doesn't have to waste trees either."

He laughed. "Yes, she does enjoy the newer inventions. But you still won't tell me REALLY why you won't pursue this? I can wait a few years for you to finish your degree."

"And then what would I do? Get a job? Have a career? No, Edward, not without you. And definitely not beyond nineteen years of age."

He sighed. It was a rough kind of sound, rarely used. We have had this discussion a lot recently.

"Maybe tomorrow, then? We can fill out more paperwork tomorrow."

"Yes, maybe tomorrow", I said, finishing my doodle of a bronze-haired man with angel wings.

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**There is an Art Institute in Seattle:**

http://www (dot) artinstitutes (dot) edu/seattle/

**And here is a link to some of Andy Warhol's work:**

http://www (dot) artchive (dot) com/artchive/W/warhol (dot) html

**Alice probably got her degree here, Suffolk University in Boston:**

http://www (dot) suffolk (dot) edu/nesad/About%20Us%20 (dot) htm


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